A Halfa's Golden Heart
by Butterfly Hippie
Summary: In legends, if a young halfa is pure and innocent and fights for good, their hearts are golden. When a new ghost called The Heart Snatcher takes Danny’s heart, he becomes emotionless and will soon die. But what happens when Sam goes after the ghost? D/S!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was just another ordinary day. Of course, for Sam Manson, being the girlfriend of a boy with ghost powers, no day was ever quite ordinary. In fact, in recent years and particularly in the past few months, extraordinary had become almost ordinary. However, on this particular night, there was nothing on her mind, no trouble, no signs of what was to occur. It was just another night at the movies with the best boyfriend in the world, Danny Fenton, also known as Danny Phantom, the ghost boy, or Inviso-Bill (she had _no_ idea where _that_ one came from).

The movie they were watching was _Circus Gothika: Part 3_. The _Circus Gothika _series was Sam's favorite, and she had dragged Danny to go see the third movie with the promise that he could choose the movie next time. Normally, Danny swore up and down that the _Circus Gothika_ movies didn't scare him one bit, but as she looked over at him, she saw he was curled up in a ball with his popcorn, quivering in fright. Sam grinned maliciously, and considered taking a picture on her cell phone to be used for future blackmail purposes, but before she could reach her bag, a strange glowing light in the darkened movie theater made her stop.

It was coming from Danny. His chest, more specifically. As he lifted the bag of popcorn slightly, she could see it more clearly. It was a glowing sphere of golden light pulsing in time with his heartbeat, she realized. It was repulsive, yet beautiful to look at. But as she puzzled over what it could be or why it was there, a stream of blue mist floated out Danny's mouth. He was so absorbed in the movie that he didn't even notice his ghost sense go off. After kicking Danny several times in the shins to get his attention, Sam whispered the words _ghost sense_ in his direction. He startled, dropping his popcorn. On the pretense of retrieving it, he slipped silently onto all fours on the sticky movie theater floor. A minute later, Danny Phantom was flying out the door. Not wanting to miss out on the latest ghost fight, Sam followed.

The ghost in question was slim and lean, almost catlike in his movements, wearing all black and carrying a golden bow with heart-tipped arrows that looked like they had been stolen from Cupid. For there was nothing remotely Cupid-like about this ghost-Cupid was fat, baby-like, and ugly. This ghost was almost handsome. As Danny shot ecto-blast after ecto-blast, the ghost dodged them easily, all the while keeping silent.

"What's the matter?" Danny shouted. "Not talkative like your friends?" Finally, the ghost spoke.

"I'm not a fan of splashing my identity all over the place like some other ghosts I could mention." he said dryly, unfazed by the questions. He maneuvered impressively around yet another ectoblast, and Sam could tell Danny was getting frustrated. _Stay calm, Danny, stay calm_, she mentally urged him. She knew if Danny lost his focus, it could be disastrous.

"But if you must know." the ghost continued. "My name is the Heart Snatcher." At that exact moment, Sam saw it, the concentration slipped from Danny's face and he left himself unguarded just long enough for the ghost to shoot one of his golden arrows at him. The arrow hit Danny square in the chest, exactly where the golden ball of light had been just a few minutes before. The boy began to fall, changing back to human form while still in mid-air.

"And I've just done my job." The Heart Snatcher grinned widely, and with a seriously sinister evil laugh, he was gone, leaving Danny Fenton motionless on the floor.

A/N: Yay! I did it! I finally finished the first chapter! And it wasn't too short, either! Anyway, this is for I.M.R Duelist's Phantom Cup Challenge. Hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Danny!" Without even realizing it, she was by her boyfriend's side. He was already beginning to stir when she knelt down beside him, ignoring the crowd that was beginning to form.

"Are you okay?" Danny stretched and his big blue eyes flickered open. Sam sighed in relief.

"Yeah. I'm okay." But there was something about his voice, something odd, something that sent a shiver down her back. It was flat, almost a monotone. _Maybe I'm just imagining it_, Sam told herself. But as soon as she looked into his eyes, she knew it wasn't her imagination. His eyes were just as big and blue as ever, but they were blank, not filled with reassurance or concern as she would have expected after an episode like this. She pushed her troubling instincts aside for the moment to shoo away the curious mob of people.

"Go! He's fine! There's nothing to see here! Go!" At that moment, a song started playing over the movie theater speakers. Later, she would consider it some sort of supernatural sign, trying to warn her of what had just transpired, but in the heat of the moment, it was simply another background noise.

_We watch the season pull up its own stakes  
And catch the last weekend of the last week  
Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced,  
Another sun soaked season fades away_

You have stolen my heart

Invitation only, grand farewells  
Crash the best one, of the best ones  
Clear liquor and cloudy eyed, too early to say goodnight

You have stolen my heart

And from the ballroom floor we are in celebration  
One good stretch before our hibernation  
Our dreams assured and we all, will sleep well

You have stolen  
You have stolen my heart

I watch you spin around in your highest heels  
You are the best one, of the best ones  
We all look like we feel

You have stolen my  
You have stolen my heart

DPDPDPDPDPDPDPDDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDP

The next day at lunch, the same strange feeling that something wasn't quite right was plaguing Sam. Finally, she felt like she had to have _some_ reassurance that she wasn't crazy. Tucker was absorbed in his PDA, and of course she couldn't tell Danny what was going through her mind, so the next logical choice would be Emily.

Emily was a fairly recent addition to their lunch table, and like Danny, she was a halfa. Unlike Danny, however, she also had extraordinary healing powers given to her at birth by a ghost named Isabelle. Emily had cerebral palsy, which affected most of her body, and when she was in the hospital for a leg operation, she had met Sam, who was recovering from pneumonia. Since then, Sam had always felt a close connection with Emily, and usually turned to her for advice or to vent.

"I don't know, Sam. Maybe you're overreacting. I would be scared, too, if that happened to my boyfriend. That is, if I had one." Emily said doubtfully after Sam had explained what had happened at the movies the night before.

"Look at him!" Sam pointed in the direction of Danny, who was talking to Tucker in the same strange monotone he had used at the movies.

"I see what you mean." Sam was so relieved she would've cried, if she had been that kind of girl. Instead, she gave Emily a quick hug and then headed to the quiet and solace of the library.

The library was deserted, except for a couple of Dash's goons making trouble at a nearby trouble. Sam didn't mind them, as long as they didn't bother her. She settled herself far away from the boys, and then, out of boredom, started flipping through the pages of a rather large and moldy book that had been mysteriously left on the table. The book, entitled Legends and Myths of the Ancient World, was not Sam's usual reading material, but she was somehow compelled to read it anyway. She stopped at the legend entitled "A Halfa's Golden Heart", and began reading. Somehow, she knew, this was the key to everything.

_A Halfa's Golden Heart_

_Legend tells of a young halfa who was pure and selfless. This halfa cared for others over himself, and used his powers only for good. Eventually, the halfa was so innately good that his heart began to turn to gold. Unfortunately, as much as the young halfa fought for the light, there were others, backed by ghosts, that fought for the dark. These ghosts would do anything to attain the power and glory that would come from possessing a golden heart. So, rather than make the effort to realize the error of their ways, these ghosts set out to steal the young halfa's heart. They pursued him for months, never giving up. Eventually, one dark and stormy night, they achieved their goal. They stole the halfa's heart, and as a result, the halfa became emotionless and apathetic, even alienating his friends because he simply did not care anymore. Although the halfa's friends began a tireless crusade for the golden heart, by the time they found it, it was too late. After three months, the halfa died, wasted away by his lack of a heart. Since then, the descendents of the dark ghosts have been searching for another halfa with a golden heart, and it is said that when they find it, they will stop at nothing to retrieve it. At the time of this writing, such a halfa has not been found-yet._

Sam stood up so fast she knocked her chair over and bolted out the door. She was going so fast that she didn't notice the librarian gave her a knowing wink as she sprinted out the door. There was only one thought running through her mind: _We have to save Danny-before we lose him for good._

A/N: Yay! I finished this chapter! Sorry it took awhile, I was swamped with homework and then my internet broke for awhile...But I'm finished now, so please read and review! (By the way, if any of you have not read my other stories and would like to know more about Emily, please go read Ghost Contradiction and Halfa All the Way). The song is "Stolen" by Dashboard Confessional, and it was just too perfect for me not to use in this fic.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"There's only one thing to do." Emily said later that day, more confidently than she felt.

"And that is...?" Sam prodded.

"Go into the Ghost Zone. And find Danny's heart ourselves." Sam groaned loudly.

"Oh, Em, do we have to? Can't you use your healing powers?" Emily stared at her in shock. Even Tucker glanced up from his PDA, unaccustomed to the silence.

"Sam, I can't believe you! Look, I _know_ you aren't that fond of the Ghost Zone, but this is _your_ boyfriend and _my_ best friend we're talking about here. I would've thought you cared about Danny enough to put your personal preferences aside for a little while. I guess not." And with that, Emily picked up her crutch from where it had been leaning against Sam's bed and headed out the door. Suddenly, she turned around again to meet Sam's purple eyes, which were wide with shock.

"Oh, and by the way? I can't use my healing powers for this one. I can't magically produce another heart out of thin air. But thanks. It's nice to know that you expect me to be the Fix-It Girl, instead of a real friend." The tapping of her crutch could be heard slowly fading away as Sam gaped after her.

"Well?" Tucker asked, a little uncertainly. "Shouldn't you go after her?" Just then, a loud crash was heard, and without even thinking, Sam followed her friend.

She found Emily sprawled out on her hands and knees at the bottom of the stairs, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Em? You okay?" Emily shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess so. My crutch slipped on the bottom step. Oh well, no more than what usually happens to me in the course of a day." Sam crouched down beside her friend and gave her a hand up.

"I'm sorry, Em. I didn't mean to imply that all you do is heal. You're a true friend, and I don't know what we would've done if we had never met you. Please, Em, forgive me. I wouldn't be able to stand it if I lost you as a friend." To her surprise, Emily started crying softly.

"No, Sam, I'm sorry. It's just that I've had a lot of bad experiences where people were only pretending to be my friends, and I'm always kind of scared it'll happen again. I lost my head, I'm sorry, I know you guys are true-blue friends." Sam smiled. Just then, footsteps were heard on the stairs, and a moment later Tucker's beret-topped head came into view, as did the rest of his body. He looked uncertainly from Sam, to Emily, then back to Sam.

"Everything okay?" he asked, half-wishing he had never torn himself away from his beloved PDA. Both girls nodded.

"Yeah, we're okay." Emily said.

"Now we are." Sam added.

"So...what are we going to do about Danny?" Tucker questioned. Emily looked at Sam. Finally, after a long moment of silence, Sam spoke.

"We're going into the Ghost Zone."

DPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDP

After that, everything was a blur. Emily transformed into ghost form, and they snuck through the Fenton Portal to find themselves deep in the ghost zone. Once inside, they looked at each other expectantly.

"Well?" Tucker asked.

"Don't look at me!" Sam protested. "Emily was the one who came up with this whole idea!" She turned to look at Emily, only to find that she was no longer behind them.

"Emily? Emily!" Sam spied Emily far ahead of them, navigating quickly on the ghost crutches that Danny had given her. The two struggled to keep up with her. _In a way_, Sam thought, _I guess this might be what it's like to be Emily, always being left in the dust. At least with her ghost crutches she can kick our butts in speed for once._

When Tucker and Sam finally caught up with Emily, they were out of breath and confused.

"Emily? Where are we going?" Sam panted heavily. Emily finally slowed down and faced her friends.

"To one of the only ghosts in here we know we can trust." Sam and Tucker exchanged glances, comprehension dawning on them.

"You don't mean..." Sam started. Emily smiled slightly.

"Uh huh. We're going to Isabelle."

DPDPDPDPDPDPPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPD

When they reached the healing ghost's lair, Isabelle was curled up in a chair with a book. When she finally put down her book to find three of her favorite humans (or, in one case, half human) staring at her, she wasn't surprised.

"Ah. Silver Lining and friends. I have been expecting you."

"Expecting us?" Emily queried. _Wow, news sure travels fast in the Ghost Zone._

"Let's just say that Clockwork paid me a little visit."

"So you know what's going on." Sam stated. Isabelle nodded slowly.

"Yes, unfortunately I do."

"So can you help us?" all three of them spoke at once. There was a long moment of silence, and then...Isabelle shook her head sadly.

"Unfortunately I cannot. My powers are even more limited than Emily's at this point. And neither of us can-how did you so aptly put it?-_produce another heart out of thin air_." Emily blushed furiously at hearing her earlier words repeated back to her.

"Can you at least tell us where to find the ghost that stole Danny's heart?" Tucker asked. Once again, Isabelle shook her head.

"The Heart Snatcher is a very secretive ghost. Very secluded. In fact, when he stole young Danny's heart, it was the first time he came out of hiding in thousands of years. Only one or two of the very ancient ghosts have even seen him. The rest of us just know of him through rumors and legends, much like the one you found."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Emily was on the verge of tears.

"Alas, child, I am not a miracle worker, nor can I tell the future. However, I do wish you the best of luck on your quest, and I will let you know if I hear anything further." Glumly, the trio bid Isabelle ado. They all knew that searching for the Heart Snatcher in a place as big as the Ghost Zone was like searching for a needle in a haystack. It would take a miracle for them to _ever_ find Danny's heart, let alone within three months. As they exited Isabelle's lair, they all felt extremely depressed. And who they found floating smugly in front of Isabelle's lair made it even worse.

Dark Danny.

A/N: Yay, this was a fairly long chapter, over two pages! I'm so glad people really like this story, it's the first time I've written on someone else's idea like this. Next chapter should be fairly short and up soon, because I have a good idea of where it's going at this point. The chapter after that...I'm not making any promises. Read and review, please!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Dark Danny." Sam growled. The older, evil version of the boy they were currently trying to save floated lazily in front of them.

"Relax, Samantha. You'll sprain something. Ah, is that hatred I see in those lovely purple eyes of yours?"

"Don't call me _Samantha_." Sam said through clenched teeth. "I thought we gave you a life sentence in the Fenton Thermos?" Dark Danny smirked. It was never good when your enemy smirked.

"Patience, Samantha. I got let out for good behavior."

"And you've come here to torture us?" Sam asked with something rather like malice. The older Danny, surprisingly, shook his head.

"As tempting as that might be, I have better things to do than torture my former friends. No, I came to help you on your quest to find Danny's heart, of course." Sam opened her mouth to speak, but Emily, who had remained unusually silent throughout the whole conversation, beat her to it.

"Cut the crap. Why are you really here?" Dark Danny dramatically placed a hand over his own heart.

"Why, Emily, I'm shocked. You really believe that my reasons are not the most truthful?" He was clearly enjoying every minute of this, and it infuriated the teenagers standing in front of him. And that, of course, made it all the more enjoyable.

"And what cause have you given us to trust you? Nearly destroying Amity Park doesn't give you a very good reputation, you know."

"Ah, but I'm not here because I care about my younger self. Rather, the opposite. If Danny dies, then his older self will never exist. In a nutshell, I'm not here because I care about Danny. I'm here because I care about myself." There was a pause, and then he added: "Since my youth I've gone deeper into the Ghost Zone than anybody else. I know more about the Ghost Zone, and the ghosts who live there, than even the ghosts themselves. I know shortcuts, secret lairs, and how to avoid unfriendly ghosts along the way. If there's anybody who can help you find the Heart Snatcher, and get back Danny's heart, it's me." The three friends considered him for a long moment, and then Sam spoke.

"Would you mind giving us a few minutes to consider this?" The smirk on Dark Danny's face grew even wider.

"Not at all." he replied. Sam, Tucker and Emily crowded together in a football-style huddle, ironic considering that none of the three of them could, or ever would, play football.

"Should we trust him?" Sam murmured. Emily shook her head.

"I have a bad feeling about him. Any enemy of Danny's is an enemy of ours. Besides, can you imagine how Danny would kill us for trusting his evil older self once he's back in his right mind? Personally, I don't want to risk it."

"But he's our last hope!" Sam protested. "How else are we going to find Danny's heart? I'm not going to let Danny die just because we were too stupid to trust the one person who could help us!"

"But our last hope just _happens_ to be a person-"

"-ghost."

"-person, ghost, _whatever_, the point is he tried to kill all of us once, who's to say he's not going to do it again? I do not want to die!" The argument escalated into a shouting match between the two girls, with Tucker furiously trying to keep the peace to no avail. Eventually, Dark Danny had to step in.

"I hate to break up this _fascinating _discussion," he said lazily, sarcasm dripping from every word. "But you're going to have to make a decision eventually. If you don't want my assistance, then I'll leave you to your bickering." He turned to leave.

"_Wait_!" all three of them screeched. Dark Danny slowly turned to face them, a self-satisfied smirk spreading slowly across his face.

"Yes?"

"We trust you." Sam blurted out.

"We don't have much of a choice." Emily grumbled under her breath.

"Anyway, just help us find Danny's heart. It doesn't mean we like you, or that anything's changed between all of us, it just means that we'll accept your help."

"I'm glad you children came to your senses." Dark Danny said quietly. "Now, follow me. We have a heart to find."

A/N: Yes! Yes! Yes! I finished! I finished the chapter! twirls about in jubilation It took me long enough, but I finished it. I'm going to be leaving for camp on Saturday so this will probably be my last update before the contest deadline, unless a miracle occurs and I'm able to get a chapter written in the six days before I leave and/or in the three days I'm home between sessions. Enjoy!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The aging ghost of time floated in front of a viewscreen, paused on Dark Danny's infuriating smirk. Clockwork rubbed his head in exasperation and exhaustion. Why, oh why, did Daniel insist on getting himself into life-threatening situations at least once a week? Even the master of time himself couldn't predict when the boy was going to get himself nearly killed. As for following the halfa's finally blossoming relationship with Samantha...it was really too much for one ghost to keep track of.

"Clockwork!" A loud voice barged uninvited into his musings. Clockwork groaned. He had really been hoping that this latest escapade had somehow escaped the Observants' notice. Unfortunately, this didn't seem to be the case, and the now child-like ghost turned to face the two ghosts who he privately considered to be his worst enemies.

"Clockwork, how could you let something like this slip? Why didn't you contact us the minute the boy got himself into trouble again?" Clockwork mentally rolled his eyes. What was it about these Observants that made them so damn high and mighty?

"Contrary to popular opinion, you are not the rulers of the Ghost Zone. I don't remember being obligated to inform you of every move that Daniel makes." he said evenly.

"Yes, but this is a life-threatening circumstance!" one of the Observants (he couldn't tell which) insisted.

"And we feel it is our duty to step in when we feel that a problem is not being handled correctly." the other continued.

"Which is now." both of them concluded.

"So what do you propose I do?" Clockwork asked, his anger rising. "Interfere in Daniel's life, save the day yet again, and deprive the boy of the chance to actually learn something useful from the experience?"

"But the boy might die before he ever learns anything!"

"That is not necessarily the set course of time. There are infinite many timelines being created even as we speak, and in many of them, Daniel's heart is found in time and he emerges with a lesson learned that he should not be easily distracted during a ghost fight."

"But surely you must know what is going to happen! The boy's older self will take advantage of his friends! The whole 'experience' as you so nicely put it, could end in tragedy!"

Now, Clockwork was normally a very patient ghost. But if there was anything that could try his patience, it was these two. And he was starting to lose it.

"You only know that because I told you! If you remember correctly, _I_ am the Master of Time, and I and I alone know what may or may not happen in a specific circumstance. And if you had listened properly, you would know that I said that it was _highly likely_ that Dark Daniel would take advantage of his former friends. Time is a very fickle thing. Nothing is ever definite. If I were to interfere now, the results could be catastrophic." In frustration, he picked up a time medallion from his desk and threw it at the Observants. In unison, the two most annoying ghosts in the Ghost Zone turned intangible, and the medallion went sailing harmlessly through them.

"Now get out of my house." Clockwork continued. Silently, the Observants turned to leave. "And don't come back!" he shouted after them.

After the Observants had gone, Clockwork sank into a chair with his head between his hands. As infuriating as those Observants were, they did have a point. There was a very high chance that Dark Daniel would take advantage of Sam, Tucker, and Emily, and once he did that there was no telling what would happen. The timelines were too many to count and the possibilities fluctuated by the second. None of those possibilities were very appealing. If only there was some way he could get a warning to the teenagers before something horrible happened...he sprang upright, hardly daring to believe the wonderful idea that had just come to mind. He looked over at his daughter, who was lounging in a chair and had been watching the events unfold with amused interest.

"Karenna." he said. "Go help them, please." Karenna leaped out of her chair, her eyes sparkling.

"I thought you'd never ask." she said with a grin. And with that, she was gone.

A/N: A miracle has occurred! I got a chapter done in a day and a half! That's practically unheard of for me! This is kind of an in-between chapter. I was originally going to make it part of the previous chapter, and then I was going to make it part of the next chapter, and now I've decided to make a stand-alone chapter. Now, Karenna is an OC, so for those of you who dislike OCs, oh well. But I've always kind of wanted to do a story with all the canon characters and all of my OCs, here's my chance! If you want to learn more about Karenna, go read Karenna's Legacy, and the first chapter of The Return of Karenna Clockwork (which is on hiatus for the moment as I have run out of ideas). Read and review please! And thanks for all the story alerts and favs!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It was several days before Karenna caught up with the group. _I may be the daughter of the master of time_, she mused, _and I may have time powers, but my sense of direction certainly needs work._

It was a secluded part of the Ghost Zone, away from the hustle and bustle of the many ghosts who inhabited the center. Here, lairs were scattered and ghosts were seen infrequently, preferring to stay home and plot. Karenna realized that Dark Danny was leading her friends straight to the Heart Snatcher's lair. _Hmm...maybe Daddy was wrong this time...maybe Dark Danny was really being truthful_, she thought. Sam, however, didn't seem convinced. She kept shooting suspicious looks in Dark Danny's direction, clearly regretting her choice to trust him. Karenna didn't blame her. Almost every ghost in the Ghost Zone feared Dark Danny, believing him to be the ghost boy's inevitable future. Clockwork had kept him in the Fenton Thermos for months, especially after what he had done to Karenna. Why her dad had chosen to release him now was beyond her. Karenna privately thought, along with most of the other ghosts, that Dark Danny should never be released from the thermos for the rest of his afterlife. No matter what he said, she still had a strange feeling about him that she couldn't shake, something that told her that if she just barged into the group without any caution whatsoever, that Dark Danny would not be happy with her, to put it mildly. So she followed at a distance, making sure to stay intangible whenever one of them looked her way.

After a lot of twists and turns, even Karenna was starting to feel slightly dizzy by the time she tracked her friends to the Heart Snatcher's lair. It was not flashy like many other ghosts' lairs; indeed, if she hadn't known it was there, she would've missed it. It was small and kind of dumpy looking, its gray muted colors blending in with the darkness. Dark Danny led the teens up a narrow winding path and then knocked on the door three times with a knocker in the shape of a broken heart. The sudden sound reverberated through the air, and everyone, including Karenna, jumped. After a few moments, the door creaked open, and the Heart Snatcher stepped out.

He was an incredibly handsome ghost who commanded an impressive presence, even more so next to his shabby dwelling. His dark hair was slicked back, almost like something out of a time long past. He was tall and slim, and stood ramrod straight, his posture oozing confidence. The three teens cowered in his presence, and even Karenna felt slightly intimidated. The only one out of the group who seemed not affected by the Heart Snatcher was Dark Danny, who stepped forward and began to speak.

"Hello, Heart Snatcher." The tone of his voice made it clear that this wasn't just a pleasure visit. Anyone else would have shrunk back, crumbled under his authority, but the Heart Snatcher was no weakling, and he met Dark Danny's gaze with a stare of equal intensity. It seemed the two ghosts were evenly matched.

"What do you want?" It was a simple question, but coming from the Heart Snatcher it seemed more like a challenge.

"I have been informed by reliable witnesses that you possess the heart of one Daniel Fenton, otherwise known as Danny Phantom."

"Maybe I do." It was clear that the Heart Snatcher wasn't going to hand Danny's heart over willingly. "Are you interested in acquiring it?"

"Yes." Dark Danny's voice was a low rumble.

"Why?"

"Danny is our friend. Without his heart, he'll die in a matter of weeks." Sam blurted out before anyone could restrain her.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm not allowed to keep the hearts I steal. I'm required to hand them over directly to my employer." He didn't seem very sorry at all.

"And who exactly is your employer?"

"I'm sorry." There was that word again. "That information is classified." A sinister grin began making its way across the Heart Snatcher's face.

"However...if you would like, we could discuss payment options for the heart." The evil grin grew wider, and Karenna felt a shiver of foreboding run down her back. Something horrible was going to happen. The Heart Snatcher raised his hand, and it began to glow menacingly.

"No!" Karenna shouted, and before she could think, she flung herself in front of her friends just as the Heart Snatcher released a jet of scarlet light. It seemed an eternity, but finally the light hit her, and all that was left was blessed blackness.

A/N: Oooh! Cliffhanger! I'm so proud of myself, I've gotten like three chapters up in the last week. Extreme boredom produces extreme creativity, I guess. Now I have to work fast on the next chapter to satisfy the cliffhanger curiosity before I leave for camp on Saturday. Thanks to everybody who reviewed last chapter and/or added this story to their alerts/favs. Please review!


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